


The Colors of Rebirth and Destruction

by Naveri



Category: Purple Hyacinth - Ephemerys & Sophism (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, F/M, Gen, Kinda..maybe fluff?, Lune on the run, it's lit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27260869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naveri/pseuds/Naveri
Summary: Lune's been exposed and they're about to be on the run. Kieran only has one more stop to make before they leave Ardhalis, but when he arrives, his reality sets in and that last spark of hope he ever had falls away.
Relationships: Lauren Sinclair & Kieran White, Lauren Sinclair/Kieran White
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	The Colors of Rebirth and Destruction

**Author's Note:**

> I had no idea what kind of summary I wanted to write without spoiling anything. I should have just inserted a paragraph from the story. 
> 
> So, this was improv, for fan theories on discord, because SO MANY OF THEM wrote maddening incredible angst that I was pretty much drowning in it. So, the inspiration is from them! As always we got on the topic of something interesting that relates to Kieran. So, this is how this was created. I really wanted to do it, and YES I am still working on the Snowstorm Prompt (as of 10/29/20), but it's coming along for being five chapters and mostly edited. 
> 
> I was listening to Blurry Line on Spotify while writing this, go check out Soph's albums! This is a favorite of mine and it hits so hard! T.T

It wasn't the cold blood running in his veins that kept him fuming the entire way back to his apartment. It was the result of the night, and nothing could change what had happened. Their time was up, they had to leave, and it shattered him. _Lauren's life._ He could easily throw the blame to her, tell her that it was her choice, that it was her foolishness to go against the law. To work with him. _But he couldn't._ He could only admire the way she persevered forward. The way her smile lit up his midnight world. 

It wasn’t him this time, pulling them along, getting them out of sticky situations. It was her. It was all her. It was always her. She guided him ahead, pushed him to a run, and waited at the end of the line with a fierce stare to match his own. _An equal._

_This was it. She’d be there waiting for me._

Kieran said he wouldn’t be long. He couldn’t take the risk, the sun would soon rise and their ticket out of Ardhalis would burn up in flames with the daunting heat that summer brought. He cloaked himself into the shadows, feet at a sprint. But as the light in the sky turned to a mesh of orange, his brows furrowed and he flung out his watch. It was two in the morning--how can that be? He shot his head forward again, hand gripping for a balcony ledge on a building and heaving himself up. He swung his legs around the railing and gripped for the roof, pulling himself to a stand.

And as he turned his head toward the horizon, there was no mistaking the fact that it wasn’t the burn of the morning sun coming to greet him, but a scorching pain of realization and anger. It filled his veins, it fluttered his heart, and sent him into a rush. Kieran’s legs shot forward, blinding past the world. The choking scent of his terror fell over his sky, eyes pinned to the only thing that now existed in his path. The ashes rose and the flames combusted, with it the last of his hopes of having anything left to _hold_ on to. 

The colors of his world, distorted and the rage burning up in his lungs came to him as he reached the scene. His stall was imminent, but he sprinted forward, feet passing the steps and his shoulder bursting down the door. The heat. It lathered his form, the hot fumes blazing against his chest and snapping at his legs. The ashes coursed, jacket held tightly against his face and his sapphires trapped within the flames of his consequences.

His heart had already sunk, the numbness falling shortly after when the fires enveloped his only _space._ Rushing to the locked door, he smashed against the wood, the coughs erupting his hearing, and the tears in his eyes blurring his vision. _Everything burned. It’s so hot._ Kieran fell forward through the destroyed door. He choked, the oxygen snuffed from his body, the flames so much higher now licking the walls and floating amongst the floorboards. As if numb was the bottom, he fell deeper, into a catatonic stance. Eyes gazing on at the beauty surrounding him. Firelight of destruction, laughing back and shimmering in his eyes. It blurred with his pain, falling along his cheeks and painting his shirt. It stained, it scorched, it _hurt._

_It’s all gone..._

Someone grabbed for him, pulling him back and away from his temple of thoughts, his station of humanity, falling away to the heat and burning the guilt, the truths, the illusions, the dreams. Kieran’s arms slung forward, pulling from the threads around his waist. The coughs erupted from the screams he did not hear, and the pull of the arms loosened against him. He spun now, his vision clearing to slam back into his reality. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see... _I can’t feel anything._

But he could taste the smoke in his lungs, dirty hands smearing away his tears and he could finally come to see Lauren there crumbled to the ground in a heap of coughs. His spirit bloomed in his chest and brightened his mind, it pulled his body into overdrive. Hands shot forward, grabbing for her body and slinging her into his arms. Kieran held his breath, fighting the burning coughs erupting in his lungs and stabbing his throat. She tried to guide him ahead, push him into a run, and meet him at the end of the line. _But I was blind, staring on at what I thought was real. But it was just illusions and dreams. But you...you’re real._

Kieran broke from the veil of plume making up his world. He gasped for air, stumbling with Lauren in his arms down to the street. The neighbors were already outside, a gasp of horror raining over the few as he rushed forward and fell to his knees to gently place Lauren to the ground. An ear fell to her chest, a constriction of breath calling to him. He called to her, hoping for her to stir. 

“Lauren!” 

His hands shook, the coat of ashes and his life clinging to every part of him. Black stained fingers fell to her hot skin, caressing her dirty cheek. 

“Lauren, please.” Kieran groaned with a painful gasp, the sound of others inhabiting the area and pooling into his world. Heaving a breath he leaned forward, tightening her nose and ash coated fingers lifting away her lips to secure the air he provided. His own breath of life given, but tainted, corrupt, painful. But he kept going, hands falling to her ribs to push her world to a jolt. And as he fell again to her lips, he thought of the way her hair fell along the dark sky on crisp winter night, or how her eyes riveted the very swipe of his blade along her neck. The same colors that brightened up his world and lit his life to ash. The very same colors that brought him rebirth and destruction. As his hands slipped to her ribs, he tried one more time. Sending her every thought he had in the moment to her heart. Lauren gasped harshly, and the faint sound of others followed. He still could not see them. Just the eyes of faded amber pulling him in and taking him to safety. 

“Kieran, you’re safe…” She choked, her dirty fingers falling to his hand resting on her cheek.

“You fool.” He cried out, tears that had been streaming down his face now registering in his mind. With a swift movement, he pulled her into his arms and the onlookers mumbled incoherently. Kieran pushed forward, guiding them out of the crowd and away from the burning of the past. He heard the shouts and the calls, but he couldn’t bear to look behind any longer. He melted again to the shadows with the only tether to his humanity now curled up in his arms and resting upon her lips was a tired breath, black smeared hands gripping to his filthy coat. 

“I’m so sorry, Kieran.”

And he cried, pulling her closer to his chest and sprinting to their escape. He sobbed, quiet but harsh, the urge to cough fighting its way to his tongue. But he couldn’t feel the pressure of the smoke in his lungs. It was only the pain of the thought that he had almost lost her because of his mind stuck in the bubble of dreams and faded memories. And when he looked down to her for a moment, she too was crying, eyes wide to the world and wrapping him in. The only thoughts left in his mind were for the city he’d leave behind and of the woman he’d take with him, signature or not, he whispered to the wind.

“I’m sorry too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really love how this came out and usually I rag on my work, but I think I'll cherish this one because it terrifies me to think Kieran will somehow lose all his artwork. Everything he thought he had to keep him stable. That humanity he so desperately clings to, but when he does finally lose it all, he almost loses the most important part of that humanity. Lauren going in and saving his stupid ass, ugh and him crying! KIERAN CRYING HURTS TO THINK ABOUT.
> 
> And I didn't expose who lit his apartment on fire, but it's not Bella, because Bella is our spice catalyst. Speaking of, if you caught the reference to Ambrosial, I did see this as the same timeline. Maybe that'll change your perspective on...this Lauki's relationship.


End file.
